Cuomo, State Workers Union Reach Deal on New Labor Contract

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Governor Andrew Cuomo and the union representing 66,000 state workers in the executive branch have reached a contract agreement.

The five-year labor deal between the administration and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) provides the workers with protection from layoffs due to budget cuts.

The union agreed to a freeze on base wages for three years, nine "deficit reduction" unpaid days off and healthcare coverage concessions. In exchange, they secured a two percent pay increase in 2014 and 2015, a lump-sum payment of $1,000 to offset the wage freeze and a review of the use of temporary workers by the state.

The deal must still be ratified by the union members. If it passes, savings to the state are expected to reach $73 million this fiscal year and $93 million next fiscal year.

The state's second-largest, state-employee union, the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF), representing 56,000 professional, scientific and technical employees, remains in negotiations.

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